Definitions

basketball

[bas-kit-bawl, bah-skit-] / ˈbæs kɪtˌbɔl, ˈbɑ skɪt- /

NOUN

team sport

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ball

STRONG

hoops

WEAK

B-ball brownball

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The New York Knicks won the National Basketball Association championship for the first time in over 50 years, sending the city and fans into a frenzy after the long-awaited victory.

From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026

King rounded out his eight-year career with stints in Minnesota, Miami, Boston and Dallas, then spent some time as a coach in the Continental Basketball Assn. and the NBA’s G-League.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Grammy-winning rapper J. Cole, a longtime basketball fanatic, has signed to play for the Nanjing Monkey Kings in the Chinese Basketball Assn.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 2, 2026

As millions watched Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton turn the 2025 National Basketball Association Finals into a spectacle, an artificial-intelligence-generated ad came across screens between possessions for Kalshi: “The world’s gone mad, trade it.”

From The Wall Street Journal • May 5, 2026

If I volunteer to teach the Basketball Pole how to swish a foul shot, I will get an automatic A in gym.

From "Speak" by Laurie Halse Anderson